The present invention relates generally to an information processing apparatus and method, an information providing apparatus and method, and a program storage medium and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and method, an information providing apparatus and method, and a program storage medium for receiving television broadcast signals for example and programmed-recording the received television broadcast signals or have them programmed-recorded.
Personal computers are known which receive television broadcast signals, convert their video and audio signals into predetermined digital signals, store the digital signals in a storage medium such as a hard disk, and reproduce the stored signals as required.
As such personal computers are popularized and, if the practice of recording television programs in personal computers for playback becomes popular, the advertisements (or so-called commercials) broadcast between the programs in television broadcasting is expected to have no value because these personal computers can easily playback the recorded programs by skipping the commercials. This makes it impossible to force the viewers to be exposed to these TV commercials.